Description

By (author) Schlesser, Thomas; Translated by Serle, Hildegarde

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The sensational French novel about love and beauty that has taken the world by storm

“A Sophie’s World set in the art world.” – Alice Develey, Le Figaro

The sensational French novel about love and beauty that has taken the world by storm

Fifty-two weeks. That’s all the time Mona has left to learn about beauty before she loses her eyesight forever.

Fifty-two works of art. Every Wednesday, Mona’s grandfather picks her up after school and takes her to see a great work of art.

Fifty-two chapters. Together, on their visit to Paris’ museums, Mona and her grandfather will experience enchantment and sadness.

Above all, they will grow ever closer and learn to lean on each other. From Botticelli to Basquiat, Mona will discover not only the power of art, but also the meaning of generosity, doubt, melancholy, and loss. A profound, beautifully crafted novel about the fullness of life and an enthralling guide to the world’s most renowned art, Mona’s Eyes is a moving story about the bond between a young girl and her grandfather.

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Barnes & Noble Book of the Year 2025“This is a novel for everyone, a gentle, moving tale about family, beauty, and the fleeting moments that make lasting memories.”—James Daunt

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“Schlesser”s novel is a masterclass in describing the experience of art.”

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“A rare book – poignant, wise and full of wonder.”

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A Barnes& Noble Book of the Year finalist: “A heartfelt tale that stirs the soul and feeds the imagination.”

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“Art historian Schlesser’s vibrant English-language debut frames a survey of classical Western art with the story of a Parisian man supporting his 10-year-old granddaughter after her sudden bout of temporary blindness… Schlesser seamlessly interweaves the art lessons with Mona’s story, which concludes with an explanation for the cause of her blindness. Readers of Jostein Gaarder’s Sophie’s World will love this.”

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“Mona”s Eyes is gentle, bold, poetic, poignant and overall, utterly magnificent. I”m struggling to fully sum up how much I have loved reading this, but I think this has quickly become one of my favourite books that I”ve read this year.”

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“Schlesser expertly blurs the line between art history and fiction to create a heartfelt story about peoples” relationship to the world and to others. Told in simple terms, yet educational and expressive, the book evokes the same experience as other classics like ”Sophie”s World” by Jostein Gaarder.”

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“This incredibly buzzy debut is something like if an acclaimed art historian had written All the Light We Cannot See… It feels passionate and engaging and really captures the freshness and wonder of understanding art, the world, growing up, through the eyes of a child.”

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“An ode to beauty and wisdom.”

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“It”s an earthquake. A seismic shift in the world of publishing.”

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“…makes you want to run to the museum. Better than Emily in Paris.”

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“Fabulous!”

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“Mona’s Eyes is not only a novel about art; it is also a universal tale.”

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“A brilliant book.”

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“A tender, absolutely captivating book.”

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“Wonderful and poignant.”

Biographical note:
Thomas Schlesser is an art historian, professor at École Polytechnique, and Director of the Hartung-Bergman Foundation in Antibes.